Alexander Henry (mayor)

Alexander Henry (14 April 1823-6 December 1883) was Mayor of Philadelphia (R) from 1858 to 1865, succeeding Richard Vaux and preceding Morton McMichael.

Biography
Alexander Henry was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1823, and he became a lawyer in 1844 and established a prosperous legal firm. He represented the Seventh Ward on the City Council from 1856 to 1857, and he served as Mayor from 1858 to 1865. He supported improvements to the city's public transportation (including streetcars) and dramatically strengthened the police force; he also took part in the suppression of Confederate sympathizers during the American Civil War and led efforts to fortify the city in 1863 as the Battle of Gettysburg was fought in southern Pennsylvania. He retired in 1866 and worked as a bank director for several years, and he died in Germantown in 1883.